Patrick cunningham



(No Model.) 7

P. CUNNINGHAM. PREPARING U'PPERS FOR LASTING.

No. 495,455. Patented Apr. 11, 189B.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK CUNNINCHAM, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE APPLEGATE BOOT AND SHOE LASTING COMPANY, OF PORTLAND,

MAINE.

PREPARING UPPERS FOR LASTINGP SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,455, dated April 11, 1898. Application filed July 8, 1889. Serial No. 316,743- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK CUNNINGHAM,

of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and v State of Massachusettshave invented an 1m- 5 provement in Preparing of Uppers for Lasting, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

Prior to this invention uppers of boots and shoes in order that they might be lasted without tacks or pegs have been provided about their margins with pockets for the reception of draw-cords, and the said pockets havebeen made both of fibrous material folded to form a tube, and by loops forming parts of sewing machine stitches, and the draw-cord has been laid under the needle thread on the outer face of the upper near its edges, the loops of nee- 2o dle thread crossing over the draw-cord and forming the pockets.

Prior to this invention in cases wherein the pockets for the draw-cord or cords have been loops of thread of a sewing machine stitch,

the draw-cord has been laid on the outer face of the upper prior to each descent of the needle so that the stitches have fallen at opposite sides of the draw-cord, the draw-cord being laid under the descending needle as an embroidery thread is commonly laid under a descending needle in the use of embroidery attachments. When the draw-cord is laid in each stitch through the material, especially a chain-stitch, if one of the loops break the ad- 3 5 jacent loops readily pull out, and to obviate this I have laid the draw-cord in the stitches at intervals, so that if a loop is broken the adjacent loops hold 5 and so also by carrying the draw-cord across from one to the other 0 side of the upper at intervals, and by reversing the upper when the stitching is changed so that the draw cord is laid outside the upper from the heel to the ball, and at the inner side of the upper about the toe, I am enabled to lay the upper better and more easily and smoothly on the inner sole laid on the last.

Figure 1 shows an upper provided with a draw-cord applied in accordance with my invention, together with an inner-sole supposed to be lying on the bottom of a last; Fig. 2 a side elevation of the shoe shown in Fig. 1 the upper being broken away to show the last.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the draw-cord drawn up and fastened; and Figs. 4 and 5 are details to be referred to.

The upper a, the inner-sole b, and the last a, are and may be of usual material and shape.

In accordance with my improved method of lasting, the upper a, will be laid upon the cloth plate of a sewing machine adapted to make preferably a chain stitch and the ma chine will be started to make a series of stitches c, and a series of stitches will be made in the upper the usual needle entering the upper from its outer or right face, and under the descending needle at preferably every second or third stitch will be laid in usual manner the draw-cordf, the stitching being continued 7 to about the point2 when the machine will be stopped, and the needle will be elevated, and the upper be removed from under-the usual ,presser foot, the needle thread being drawn through the eye of the needle far enough to form a loop as 3. The upper is then again laid upon the cloth plate of the machine with the inner side of the upper at the opposite edge of the shoe uppermost, when the stitching will be again resumed as at 4, and then the stitching will be continued about the toe in the direction of the arrow 5, the draw-cord at such time being laid under the descending needle about the inner side of the upper about the toe, the chain of the stitch, if that form of stitch is used, falling on the outside of the upper about the toe, the stitching being continueduntil it arrives at 6, or substantially back to the point 2, when the machine will be again stopped, the needle elevated as before, and the upper will be removed from under the usual presser foot and the thread drawn out for a long loop 7, when the upper will be again reversed so as to place its right side uppermost and the stitching will be again commenced at the point 8, and continued along the upper in the direction of the arrow 9, Fig. 1, to the heel, when the stitching will be stopped and the draw-cord cut off and tied or otherwise fastened. Throughout the stitching as described, the draw-cord will be laid in the thread pockets at intervals, as shown in the drawings. I desire it, however, to be understood that it is not essential that the stitching be commenced and ended at the heel as stated, for the stitching might be commenced IOO at some other point of the upper and be carried around the upper to the starting point.

Fig. 1 shows an upper prepared as stated, it being represented as applied to a last 0 having an inner sole Z) laid thereon in usual manner. The operator will first seize the two loops 3 and 7 and will pull upon them drawing upon them in such manner as to take up the slack in the draw-cord between the points 4 and 6 which will draw the toe of the upper over upon the top of the inner sole. Fig. 1 shows the draw-cord as having been pulled substantially taut between the points 4 and 6. This done the operator will seize the drawcord at a point back of the points 2 and 8 preferably back to the heel where in the invention as herein illustrated the draw-cord has its ends tied, and will pull up the slack in the draw-cord, drawing the loops 3 and 7 taut across the inner sole as in Fig. 3, when the draw-cord will be again fastened at the points Where they were drawn up as last described to take up the slack in the loops 3 and 7. To complete the lasting of the shoe and fit the upper snugly to the last at the instep, I then engage the draw-cord at the instep, (see Fig. 4) draw the same in the direction to take up any slack therein from the points 2 and 8, to where the ends of the draw-cord are tied, and then I preferably cut the loops drawn out at the instep and tie them across the sole as in Fig. 3.

One special feature of my invention consists in passing the draw cord through some of the pockets and not through others to thereby obviate drawing the loops out in case a stitch breaks. This feature is best shown in Fig. 5, which represents in section an enlarged portion of the upper, with the draw cord f passed through a portion of the pockets p of the chain of stitches. Should one of the pockets break, as at p, the pockets 19, 19 on either side thereof would receive the strain exerted on the draw cord, and would by reason of the friction caused by the leather, and by the chain formed on the opposite side of the upper, be drawn taut and lock, thereby holding the draw cord at such points. As to this part of my invention it might be practiced to advantage even though the upper should not be reversed as stated during the application to it of the draw-cord.

I also desire it to be understood that I do not wish to limit my invention to turning the upper over at any exact point in crossing the draw-cord from one to the other side of the upper.

I claim In the preparation of uppers for lasting with a draw-cord, the method of inserting the draw-cord into loops of thread along the edge of the upper from at or near the heel, to at or near the toe of the upper; then reversing the upper and laying the draw-cord within loops of thread at the opposite or inner side of the upper; then drawing the said cord taut with the loops 3 and 7 extended and held firmly across the inner sole near the toe of the inner sole, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PATRICK 0 UN NIN GHAM.

\Vitnesses:

J. L. GILLINGHAM, FREDERICK L. EMERY. 

